Department for Transport

Govia Thameslink Railway and Northern: Timetables

Andy McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the economic cost of the disruption caused by the rail timetable changes introduced on (a) Northern Rail and (b) Govia Thameslink Railway from 20 May 2018.

Joseph Johnson: The Secretary of State and myself are concerned about the disruption caused by the timetable changes in May and are working to ensure the industry returns to a stable timetable as quickly as possible and that passengers in the most affected areas are compensation for the disruption caused. We have commissioned an independent review of the situation and affected passengers on Northern, Thameslink and Great Northern will be offered special compensation on top of Delay Repay.

Helicopters: Norway

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has had discussions with the Civil Aviation Authority in respect of the recommendations in the final report from the Accident Investigation Board of Norway into the fatal incident involving a H225 Super Puma helicopter near Turoy, Norway, on 29 April 2016; and if he will make a statement.

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 29 June 2018 to Question 156422, what discussions he has had with the Civil Aviation Authority in respect of the recommendations in the final report of the Accident Investigation Board of Norway, published on 5 July 2018.

Jesse Norman: The safety of those who travel on offshore helicopter flights is a priority. The Department for Transport has had discussions with both the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and the Air Accidents Investigation Branch regarding the fatal incident in Turoy, Norway.The report from the Norwegian Accident Investigation Board supports the action taken by the UK CAA since the accident. The CAA is continuing to work with the helicopter operators, the offshore industries, international regulators, unions and pilot representatives to enhance offshore safety standards further and all these parties are actively involved in discussions.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

British Chambers of Commerce

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many times Ministers of his Department have met with representatives of the British Chamber of Commerce since the 23 June 2016.

Andrew Griffiths: Details of Ministers’ meetings with external organisations are published quarterly on the Gov.UK website: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications?departments%5B%5D=department-for-business-energy-and-industrial-strategy&publication_type=transparency-dataInformation from April to June 2018 will be published in due course. The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) is a key stakeholder for the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and meet frequently with the Secretary of State and the other ministers. He holds weekly meetings with five major stakeholders – the BCC, the CBI, the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), EEF and the Institute of Directors (IoD) to discuss issues that are affecting their members and businesses more generally. The BCC is also a member of the SME Advisory Board. Other ministers and officials at all levels from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy have had numerous meetings with the British Chambers of Commerce and continue to do so.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Pakistan: Muslims

Paul Scully: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations his Department has made to the Government of Pakistan on (a) the murder of Mr Muhammed Shoban on the 25 June 2018 and (b) the ongoing persecution of Ahmadi Muslims in that country; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Field: We remain deeply concerned by reports of discrimination and violence against the Ahmadiyya Muslims in Pakistan. As I stated during the backbench business debate on Ahmadiyya rights on 24 May 2018, we wholeheartedly condemn attacks on the Ahmadiyya community. We regularly raise with the Government of Pakistan at senior levels the importance of religious tolerance and its duty to uphold the rights of all Pakistan's citizens regardless of religious identity.During my visit to Pakistan in November 2017, I raised the treatment of religious minorities, including discrimination and violence against the Ahmadiyya Muslim community, with the Ministry of Human Rights. My Ministerial colleague, the Minister of State for Commonwealth and the UN, Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, discussed the issue of freedom of religion or belief, and the protection of religious minorities, with Pakistan's Interior Minister in February 2018. At the UN Periodic Review of Pakistan's human rights record in November 2017, the UK called on Pakistan to strengthen protection of minorities and establish an independent National Commission for Minorities.

Bangladesh: Elections

Sir David Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 18 May 2018 to Question 142766 on Bangladesh: Elections, whether he has received a request from the Bangladeshi Government to scrutinise that country's forthcoming elections; and what assessment he has made of the potential implications for the safety of such monitors of scrutinising those elections.

Mark Field: ​The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has not received a request from the Government of Bangladesh to scrutinise the forthcoming general election. As previously answered, the UK does support election monitoring through a Department for International Development project that funds domestic observers to monitor the political environment around the election, including observation of sub-national elections. This project will also provide local observers to monitor conduct on the day of the general election.No specific assessment of the environment for potential UK based election monitors has been made. Domestic observers are experienced and have mitigation measures and systems in place to manage their own safety, something that is paramount for the HMG. So far they have conducted their activities with little hindrance, but DFID and partners continue to monitor the situation.In addition, I have been clear with Government of Bangladesh and opposition parties that elections in Bangladesh must be free, fair and pluralistic, this includes ensuring that conditions for voting are safe. I delivered these messages to Government of Bangladesh interlocutors including Foreign Minister Ali, during my visit to Bangladesh from 29 June to 1 July.

Armed Conflict: Schools

David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the letter from the Minister of State for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 24 April 2018 to schools that participated in the Safe Schools Declaration, what steps he is taking to encourage international partners to endorse that Declaration.

Mark Field: The UK is actively encouraging international partners to endorse the Safe Schools Declaration at both official and ministerial level. I was pleased to see the recent endorsements of the Declaration by Germany and by Djibouti. At a UN Security Council Open Debate on Children and Armed Conflict on 9 July, the UK called upon all UN Security Council members and UN member states to endorse the Declaration. We will continue to make representations to countries who have yet to endorse the Declaration.

Burma: Rohingya

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what information his Department holds on how many Rohingya remain in detention in Burma after arrests began in July 2017.

Mark Field: ​The British Embassy is unable to access reliable figures detailing how many Rohingya are currently in detention in Burma. The former Foreign Secretary made clear his concern about the persecution of the Rohingya people in his most recent conversation with State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi on 11 June.

Rohingya: Detainees

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the Government has sought information on or access to Rohingya people in detention for the purposes of assessing their situation; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Field: ​The British Embassy is unable to access reliable figures detailing how many Rohingya are currently in detention in Burma. The Government has not made a specific request for access to Rohingya people in detention in Burma. The former Foreign Secretary made clear his concern about the persecution of the Rohingya people in his most recent conversation with State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi on 11 June.

Burma: Political Prisoners

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he has raised the matter of the continuing detention of political prisoners in Burma during his recent discussions with Aung San Suu Kyi; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Field: The British Embassy in Burma has raised the issue of political prisoners on several occasions with State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and her ministers. Since her government took office in April 2016, at least 160 political prisoners have been released. However, we believe there to be still 45 political prisoners in Burma.

Department of Health and Social Care

Medical Equipment: Procurement

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the ability of NHS procurement to realise the benefits of medical technology that are accrued outside of NHS settings in social care or through savings in welfare and return to work spending.

Stephen Barclay: The Category Tower Service Providers (part of the new NHS Supply Chain) contract has a number of savings methodologies included that will be verified and reported for customers. There is no specific reference in the NHS Supply Chain model to potential savings outside of the National Health Service, but as part of their Category Strategies providers can develop potential savings for identified life-cycle and patient pathways. The NHS has multiple channels to market for innovators and every effort is made to ensure that innovations required by the NHS, are introduced with minimal delay. This is facilitated by the Accelerated Access Programme which was set up by the Office for Life Sciences. For its part, NHS Supply Chain works with a plethora of NHS organisations involved with innovation to ensure that priority innovations are advanced, with appropriate commercial arrangements, to ensure product availability with minimal delay and at best value.

Department for Education

Coastal Academies Trust: Children in Care

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking in response to the statement of the executive head of the Coastal Academies Trust that the trust will not be admitting out-of-county looked-after children without direction from the Secretary of State; and if he will make a statement.

Nadhim Zahawi: The best needs of the child should always be front and centre of every decision and we are committed to ensuring that children who have been in care are supported to succeed in education and are admitted to school without delay. That is why the School Admissions Code requires all school admission authorities, including academies, to give the highest priority in their admissions criteria to looked-after and previously looked-after children.Whilst we recognise that there can be challenges in school admissions for looked-after children, particularly, where they are placed out of their own areas, these placements play an important part of meeting the needs of children in care. This is an issue that the government takes incredibly seriously – and we want to reduce out-of-area placements and make sure children are properly protected and able to thrive.The government will continue to work closely with Directors of Children’s Services, who must approve any decision to move a child out of their home area, and we are supporting councils in London, so fewer children are placed in homes beyond their borders, which is backed by part of a £200 million programme.

Higher Education: East Midlands

Ben Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much funding his Department has allocated to support higher education institutions in the East Midlands since 2015.

Mr Sam Gyimah: In the academic years 2015/16 and 2016/17, higher education providers in the East Midlands received £262 million and £257 million respectively in grants from government funding bodies.The table below sets out the amount received by region according to the type of funding body grant in academic years 2015/16 and 2016/17.Funding data for academic year 2017/18 is not yet available. Income from Funding Body Grants for Higher Education Institutions located in the East Midlands Type of Funding Body GrantIncome in academic year 2015/16 (£000s)Income in academic year 2016/17 (£000s)Higher Education Funding Council for England - teaching grant97,27797,618Higher Education Funding Council for England - research grant98,49499,598Higher Education Funding Council for England - other grants21,12218,070Skills Funding Agency funding13,01010,609National College for Teaching and Leadership funding1,1382,023Capital grants recognised in the year30,72929,119Total Funding 261,770257,037  Source - https://www.hesa.ac.uk/collection/c16031/table_5.

Department for Education: Serco

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many current contracts his Department has with Serco; and what the (a) value, (b) start date and (c) end date of each of those contracts is.

Nick Gibb: Since January 2011, details of central government contracts above the value of £10,000 are published on Contracts Finder. Contracts published prior to 26 February 2015 can be viewed at: https://data.gov.uk/data/contracts-finder-archive. Those published after 26 February 2015 can be viewed at: https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Search.

Sheffield University: Scholarships

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will request information from the Vice Chancellor of Sheffield University on the number of scholarships in the Sheffield University Postgraduate Scholarship Scheme that have been awarded to applicants from Northern Ireland in the latest academic year; and if he make a statement.

Mr Sam Gyimah: As autonomous institutions that are independent from government, it is for individual higher education providers to determine the scholarship arrangements they wish to offer for students on taught postgraduate courses. Therefore, it would be inappropriate for the department to make such a request of a particular provider. The government has taken steps to support people who want to study at this level by introducing a postgraduate master’s loan, and the work of the review of post-18 education and funding will look at how we support people to study at different times in their lives.

Children's Rights: Greater London

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department has taken to respond to concerns raised by young people during the Greater London Authority’s second London Children’s Rights Inquiry held in November 2017.

Anne Milton: The Department for Education has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Teachers: Training

Lucy Powell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 22 March 2018 to Question 132609, what proportion of that funding to support trainees on the  Graduate Employment Based route for Early Years ITT has been provided to (a) maintained nursery schools, (b) nursery classes in schools, (c) private and voluntary sector early years provision and (d) childminders.

Nadhim Zahawi: The information requested is not held centrallyEarly Years Initial Teacher Training (EYITT) Providers are accredited to deliver EYITT training, working in partnerships with chosen nursery providers. EYITT providers receive relevant funding directly from the Department for Education and it is their responsibility to pass on the funding to their partner nursery providers in accordance with their own local agreements.

Schools: Finance

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on additional funding for the schools budget.

Nick Gibb: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State frequently meets Treasury Ministers, including my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer, to discuss matters of shared interest.The Government has made a significant extra investment of £1.3 billion in the core schools budget across 2018-19 and 2019-20, over and above the budget announced at the 2015 spending review. This means that funding will be maintained in real terms per pupil.Funding for the average primary school class today is £132,000, £8,000 more in real terms than in 2008. Those same pupils will see funding of £171,000 when they move to secondary school, a real terms rise of £10,000 compared to a decade ago.

Class Sizes

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what methodology his Department uses to ascertain appropriate teacher-to-pupil ratios.

Nick Gibb: Information on pupil teacher ratios (PTR) is published in tables 17a and 17b of the publication, School Workforce in England, 2017 available at:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/school-workforce-in-england-november-2017.The PTR is calculated using the November teacher data from the School Workforce Census and the pupil data collected in the following January School Census. Only those schools that provided both pupil and workforce information are included in the calculations. The pupil numbers used in the calculation of the PTR statistics include dual registered pupils. Full time equivalent (FTE) figures are used for both pupils and teachers in each school phase. The PTR is calculated by dividing the total FTE number of pupils on roll in schools by the total FTE number of teachers regularly employed in schools. Figures are rounded to one decimal place.

Design and Technology: Teachers

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he is taking steps to help increase the number of PGCE courses available for prospective design technology teachers; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: Initial Teacher Training (ITT) courses in Design and Technology are available at schools and universities in all regions in England. For the 2018/19 academic year, there are 412 postgraduate ITT courses in Design and Technology, which is 13 more courses than in 2017/18.For Design and Technology courses running in 2017/18 and 2018/19 we have allowed schools and universities to recruit as many trainees as they wish. They have this same flexibility when recruiting for the 2019/20 academic year.

Ministry of Justice

Werrington Young Offender Institution: Education

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the provision of education in HMYOI Werrington.

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the provision of education in HMYOI Deerbolt.

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the provision of education in HMYOI Doncaster.

Lucy Frazer: Ofsted are statutorily responsible for assessing the effectiveness of education provision in prisons, and their latest assessment of these prisons can be found in the most recently published HM Inspectorate of Prisons reports as follows: Werrington: https://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmiprisons/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2018/06/Werrington-Web-2018-1.pdfDeerbolt: https://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmiprisons/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2015/05/Deerbolt-web-20141.pdfDoncaster: https://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmiprisons/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2017/10/Doncaster-Web-2017.pdfGood education in and out of the classroom is the key to unlocking a secure and stable future for young people.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Housing Associations: Construction

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans he has to improve the system for recording the number of housing association completions.

Kit Malthouse: The Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government has two sources of data regarding completions by housing associations.The quarterly published House building: new build dwellings statistics are a leading indicator of housing supply and include an estimate of starts and completions by housing associations. The tenure captured in these quarterly statistics reflects the tenure of the developer building the dwelling rather than the intended final tenure, which can be different. In particular, there is a substantial quantity of affordable housing which is not captured because it is built in the private sector and then bought by local authorities and housing associations. The department recently published an action plan to improve the quality and coverage of these statistics https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/improving-the-measurement-of-new-homes-built-action-planThe department produces affordable housing supply statistics which give a more detailed breakdown of the provision of affordable housing, including completions by housing associations which is published in live table 1000C https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/affordable-housing-supply.

Compulsory Purchase: Compensation

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans he has to reform compulsory purchase orders compensation rules to ensure that a larger proportion of the value uplift created by residential planning permission can support affordable housing, infrastructure and remediation.

Kit Malthouse: Through the Housing and Planning Act 2016 and the Neighbourhood Planning Act 2017, MHCLG has introduced a substantial package of reforms to make the compulsory purchase process clearer, fairer and faster for all.Compulsory purchase can be an important tool for assembling land needed to help deliver a range of development, regeneration and infrastructure projects. However, it must be recognised that the expropriation of private property interferes with the rights of those whose land is taken. As such, there must always be a compelling case in the public interest to justify the use of compulsory purchase powers and compensation must be fair.The overriding principle of compulsory purchase compensation is ‘equivalence’, so that an owner is left neither better nor worse off (at least in monetary terms) as a result of their property being compulsorily acquired. Compensation is based on the open market value of the interest acquired, in the absence of the scheme (for example, regeneration project or railway line) underlying the compulsory purchase order. This is known as the “no scheme principle”. Under the no-scheme principle, any increases or decreases in the value of the land attributable to the scheme of the acquiring authority, or the prospect of the scheme, are disregarded when assessing compensation.

Ministry of Defence

Ministry of Defence: Serco

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many current contracts his Department has with Serco; and what the (a) value, (b) start date and (c) end date of each of those contracts is.

Guto Bebb: The Ministry of Defence has 31 contracts with Serco; a full list is in the attached table. In some instances, the contract end date is in the past. This could either be because outstanding payments are still to be made under the terms of the existing contract, or the contract has been extended and the database has not yet been updated to reflect this. Under longstanding convention, the list includes contracts with AWE Management Limited, in which Serco has a 24.5% share. For completeness, the list also includes contracts with AWE plc. The figure provided is the attributable share of that contract value to Serco. It should also be noted that since January 2011, details of central Government contracts above the value of £10,000 have been published on Contracts Finder. Contracts published prior to 26 February 2015 can be viewed at: https://data.gov.uk/data/contracts-finder-archiveThose published after 26 February 2015 can be viewed at:https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Search 



Contracts with Serco
(Word Document, 28.86 KB)

Germany: Veterans

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions his Department has had with (a) UK military veterans and (b) representative organisations in Germany on the Status of the Forces Agreement with the German Government; and what assessment he has made of the effect of the UK leaving the EU on the status of UK military veterans residing in Germany under that agreement.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The Ministry of Defence has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

USA: Military Alliances

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the joint meeting held in Washington on 26 June 2018 to mark the 60th anniversary of the 1958 Agreement between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of the United States of America for Cooperation on the Uses of Atomic Energy for Mutual Defense Purposes, if he will publish the (a) agenda for that meeting, (b) list of attendees and their official affiliations, (c) presentations made at that meeting and (d) the decisions taken in relation to the future of that agreement.

Gavin Williamson: The event, hosted at the headquarters of the US Department of Energy, was not a formal meeting, but an occasion to highlight 60 years of cooperation as well as unveiling an exhibition showcasing the agreement. The event included speeches and panel discussions but was not intended as a decision-making forum and therefore there were no presentations or decisions taken at the event.Copies of the event programme and a list of senior UK attendees will be placed in the Library of the House in due course.

Department for Work and Pensions

Universal Credit: South Lanarkshire

Angela Crawley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many registered social landlords in south Lanarkshire have access to the universal credit landlord portal.

Alok Sharma: South Lanarkshire Council is the only Registered Social Landlord (RSL) based in South Lanarkshire with access to the Universal Credit landlord portal. The list of landlords with access to the portal is updated regularly in the Members’ Library. However there may be other national or regional RSLs who have access to the portal and who administer properties in this area without being based there.

Universal Credit

Angela Crawley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what financial support the Government is providing to local authorities with increased rent arrears as a result of the introduction of universal credit.

Alok Sharma: Research shows that many people come onto Universal Credit with pre-existing rent arrears. We also know that arrears are usually temporary and the majority of claimants do succeed in paying their rent, managing their monthly payments and clearing their arrears over time. We continue to work closely with landlords, local authorities, housing associations and other organisations. Additionally, we also support local authorities through the delivery of Universal Credit, and this includes providing additional funding to cover any costs where they can be identified and verified.

Universal Credit

Angela Crawley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many universal credit claimants have (a) applied for alternative payment arrangements and (b) had their application for those arrangements accepted.

Alok Sharma: The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

Personal Independence Payment

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to improve and simplify the application process for personal independence payment.

Sarah Newton: The Department is continually working to improve the claimant journey for Personal Independence Payment (PIP). We have recently conducted a review of all claimant communications, as explained in the Department’s response to the independent reviews into PIP by Paul Gray. This response can be accessed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/personal-independence-payment-pip-assessment-second-independent-review-government-response. We have recently introduced the Video Relay Service for those with communication difficulties who use British Sign Language (BSL) so they are able to communicate with the Department more easily and also ‘Next Generation Text’ (NGT) for Deaf or hard of hearing claimants unable to use BSL or those unable to speak. In April 2018, we launched a series of videos which outline the PIP claim process in a simple and clear way, and which will better prepare claimants for an assessment. We are undertaking some research to help us understand how application forms could be improved. External contractors will conduct independent research and we envisage that this will consist of three specific stages:Stage 1 will identify whether, how and what aspects of the Employment and Support Allowance/PIP claim forms could have the potential to cause distress;Stage 2 will involve revising and amending the forms in light of these findings, and;Stage 3 will test the revised forms with applicants to determine if improvements made result in the forms being more claimant-friendly and less likely to cause distress.This work will be independently evaluated. The first stage of this work will commence in summer 2018 with stages 2 and 3 following sequentially. A standalone report covering all three stages of the research will be published in 2019.As part of our commitment to improve the PIP assessment process, we are exploring options to video record PIP face to face assessments. We are starting the test this summer, which will inform wider rollout decisions.

Personal Independence Payment

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what information her Department holds on the number of PIP forms that are returned to the applicant because that form was completely incorrectly.

Sarah Newton: The Department would return a PIP2 claim form to an applicant when it has either been sent in unsigned, signed in pencil or has not been signed by the applicant. The department does not collect information on the number of PIP forms that are returned because of these reasons.

Personal Independence Payment: Williams Syndrome

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reasons there is a mandatory 10-year review for personal independence payments for people diagnosed with Williams Syndrome.

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what types of medical condition are exempt from personal independence payments 10-year mandatory reviews.

Sarah Newton: With the exception for claims made under special rules for the terminally ill, Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is assessed on the basis of the needs arising from a long-term health condition or a disability,not the health condition or the disability itself. Therefore, the length and the rate of a PIP award is set on an individual basis, based on the claimant’s needs and the likelihood of those needs changing. Regular reviews of PIP, which can be paid at one of eight rates, are a key feature of the benefit and ensure that not only do awards remain correct where needs may change, including where needs become greater,but that we also maintain contact with the claimant. As previously announced, we are currently developing a change to guidance which will ensure that those receiving the highest level of support under PIP, who have needs which are unlikely to change, or may even get worse, will now receive an on-going award with a light touch review at the 10 year point.

Children: Day Care

Tracy Brabin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 20 June 2018 to Question 155896 on Children: Day Care, for what reason she will not make that analysis available.

Alok Sharma: Holding answer received on 12 July 2018



Entitlement to Universal Credit is determined by first assessing what a claimant qualifies for, for example, housing costs and caring responsibilities. This can include childcare of up to 85% of eligible costs, up to a limit of £1,108.04 for two or more children.The conclusion that very few people are affected by the limits described comes from analysis using the DWP Policy Simulation Model, based on the Family Resources Survey. [The PSM is a static microsimulation model which describes the tax and benefit system of the GB population]. It produces financial outputs on a representative sample of the GB population simulating a policy. The analysis in question is based on forecasts which we produce for planning purposes and forecasting during fiscal events. It models the legacy and Universal Credit system, and in particular the childcare policy described above. Upon interrogation of the models, we found that while a handful of cases were affected by the limits above, the number of these were too few to report statistically.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Crabs: South West

Scott Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to maintain a sustainable level of brown crab numbers in the South West.

George Eustice: The recently published 2017 crab stock assessment shows that the Western English Channel brown crab stock size has remained unchanged since the last assessment in 2014, with exploitation levels close to the levels required for maximum sustainable yield. There are a number of control measures in place at European, national and local level which are summarised in this stock status report. The assessment indicates that the South West brown crab fishery is being managed sustainably. The next assessment should take place in 2019. The 2017 Edible Crab Stock Status Report can be found at https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/722904/Cefas_Crab_Stock_Assessment_2017.pdf.

Fishing Vessels

David Duguid: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support the expansion of the UK fishing fleet.

George Eustice: On leaving the EU, we aim to take measures to support a diverse, profitable and sustainable fleet that serves the needs of coastal communities and the UK economy.Our approach is set out in the Government’s White Paper Sustainable fisheries for future generations published on 4 July.

Seafood

David Duguid: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help increase seafood processing capacity.

George Eustice: Leaving the EU presents opportunities for the whole seafood sector across the UK, to supply consumers’ growing demand for sustainable, resource-efficient and nutritious food. As at 31 March the UK has committed to spend £11.3 million from the 2014-2020 European Marine and Fisheries Fund to support the seafood processing sector, with £4.9 million already spent. Seafood 2040 is an industry-led framework of 25 recommendations, which sets out the vision for the seafood supply chain in England. A number of these recommendations look to deliver improved infrastructure, which will contribute to increasing seafood processing capacity. The Scottish Government is responsible for the Scottish seafood processing sector.

Fisheries: Staff

David Duguid: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to increase the domestic labour pool in the fisheries sector.

George Eustice: Through the Seafood 2040 framework for England, the fishing industry have made a number of commitments to devise and deliver a single cross-sector seafood training and skills plan based on needs and requirements. Following a pilot labour survey of the catching sector in 2017, Seafish will be conducting a full labour survey as part of their wider analysis of the UK fleet in 2018. The results of the 2017 pilot are published by Seafish and the analysis undertaken in 2018 will be published later this year.

Slaughterhouses: Animal Welfare

Sir Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of the creation of a specific mark to enable consumers to identify meat, poultry and fish that has been pre-stunned before slaughter (a) now and (b) after the UK leaves the EU; and if he will make a statement.

George Eustice: The Government is aware that there is public concern about meat from animals slaughtered in accordance with religious beliefs being sold to consumers who do not require their meat to be prepared in this way, and that there are calls for such meat to be labelled. There are currently no specific EU or national requirements governing the sale and labelling of Halal or Kosher meat. Where any information of this nature is provided voluntarily, it must be accurate and must not be misleading. The Government believes that consumers should have the necessary information to enable them to make an informed choice about their food. This is an issue the Government is considering in the context of the UK’s departure from the EU.

Home Office

UK Visas and Immigration Lost Documents Working Group

Sir Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much funding his Department has allocated to the UK Visas and Immigration Lost Documents Working Group.

Caroline Nokes: The Lost Documents Working group is led by the UKVI Improvement Team, who deploy resources when required to support business areas with process improvements. When funding is required by the team, they will be supported by UKVI.

UK Visas and Immigration Lost Documents Working Group

Sir Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the UKVI Lost Documents Group established in November 2017 is the first such lost documents working group in (a) this government or (b) any previous government.

Caroline Nokes: The loss of documents is, and has always been taken very seriously by the Home Office. The UKVI Lost Documents Working Group focuses on the prevention and improvement of lost documents within UKVI today. However, the loss of documents within UKVI has been covered by other initiatives in the past including the creation of a Valuable Documents Guidance (01st August 2013)It is the responsibility of all those handling documents to ensure processes are followed and adhered to as well as the Lost Documents Working Group

Asylum

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will collect information on the experiences of people seeking asylum to ensure that future policy is based on the experiences of those people.

Caroline Nokes: Home Office Ministers and officials continue to meet regularly with a range of NGOs and international organisations to discuss improvements and experience of the UK asylum system.

Refugees: Families

Paul Girvan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many refugee families have been re-united under the Government's family reunion scheme in the last 12 months.

Caroline Nokes: There is available information relating to the number of Family Reunion entry clearance visas granted and is published in the Home Office publication ‘Immigration statistics, year ending March 2018’, Asylum data tables Volume 5, table as_21_q, available from https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/immigration-statistics-year-ending-march-2018.Exact information on the number of refugee families re-united under the Government’s family reunion scheme is not available.

Immigration: EU Nationals

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether children born in the UK to non-UK EU citizens after 2000 will be eligible for settled status after the UK leaves the EU; and  what documentation they will be required to present to claim settled status.

Caroline Nokes: Children born in the UK to non-UK EU citizens after 2000 will be able to apply for settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, as set out in the Statement of Intent on the scheme published on 21 June 2018. Evidence will need to be provided of their identity and nationality, generally through a passport or ID card, and of their relationship to their resident EU citizen parent, for example, a full birth certificate.

Cheshire Constabulary: Labour Turnover

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the wastage rate for Cheshire Police was in each year since 2010.

Mr Nick Hurd: The Home Office collects and publishes data annually on the number of police officer leavers, as part of its ‘Police workforce, England and Wales’ statistical bulletin which can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/police-workforce-england-and-wales. Data on leavers cover the number of workers who left the force during the financial year and are based on full-time equivalents. Wastage rates are calculated by dividing the number of leavers during the financial year by the total number of workers at the end of the previous year (i.e. as at 31 March). This indicates how many of those employed at the start of the current year left during the year. Data on wastage rates for Cheshire Police from 2010 to 2017 are provided in the attached data table.Police officer leavers1 and wastage rates2 in Cheshire Police Force Area   Full-time equivalents  Police officer leavers (FTE)1Wastage rate2 (%)Wastage rate2 excluding transfers (%)  2010/111115.24.9 2011/12954.64.4 2012/13643.23.1 2013/14914.54.2 2014/151075.54.9 2015/161306.76.2 2016/171306.55.4  Notes 1. Includes transfers to other England and Wales forces but does not include officers leaving after a period of secondment. 2. Wastage rate is the total number of police officers leaving during the financial year, as a proportion of the total officers at the start of the year. The next edition of the ‘Police workforce, England and Wales’ statistical bulletin, representing the workforce as at 31 March 2018, is due to be published on Thursday 19th July 2018.

Forensic Science: Small Businesses

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what support his Department make available for the development of small and medium-sized enterprises in the forensic sciences sector.

Mr Nick Hurd: All Government departments are required to plan activities to support the cross-Government target of 33% spend with SMEs by March 2022. The Home Office has increased spend with SMEs both directly and within our supply chains since reporting began.The vast majority of contracts for the provision of forensic science in the Criminal Justice System are managed by the police. Police forces are operationally independent of the Home Office.

Forensic Science: Small Businesses

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether his Department has plans to modify the accreditation regime for the Forensic Science Regulator in relation to small and medium-sized enterprises.

Mr Nick Hurd: The Regulator is a public appointee, sponsored by the Home Office, but operationally independent. This independence allows the Regulator to make unbiased recommendations and decisions.The FSR’s Codes of Practice and Conduct set out clear standards for all forms of analytical forensic science. Accreditation to the Regulator’s Codes is undertaken, at the request of organisations, by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS), which is also independent of Government.

Migrant Workers: Veterinary Medicine

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he discussed the inclusion of veterinarians working in meat hygiene on the Shortage Occupation List in his last meeting with the Migration Advisory Committee; and if he will make a statement.

Caroline Nokes: On 15 June, the Government announced a temporary change to the Tier 2 (General) cap. This is designed to address particular pressures facing the NHS at the current time but will mean that more spaces will be freed up within the cap for other sponsored high-skilled occupations, including vets. This change came into effect on 6 July and will be kept under review.In parallel, we have commissioned the independent Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to undertake a full review of the composition of the Shortage Occupation List. This review will enable the MAC to look at which posts are in national shortage and should be given priority within the Tier 2 cap in future. That review will conclude in Spring 2019.

Migration Advisory Committee

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he has asked the Migration Advisory Committee to publish an interim report on the (a) patterns of EU migration and (b) role of migration in the wider economy.

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether his Department offered guidance on any specific recommendations the Migration Advisory Committee may make when it publishes its report on the pattern of EU migration and the role of migration in the wider economy.

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the timetable is for the implementation of any recommendations from the Migration Advisory Committee report on the pattern of EU migration and the role of migration in the wider economy.

Caroline Nokes: We will make decisions on the future immigration system based on evidence and engagement, which why on 27 July 2017 we asked the independent Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to advise on the economic and social impacts of the UK’s exit from the EU and also on how the UK’s immigration system should be aligned with a modern industrial strategy.The MAC is due to provide a final report in September and published an interim report on 27 March which is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/migration-advisory-committeeIn parallel with recent Tier 2 changes regarding the limit, we have also commissioned the MAC to undertake a full review of the composition of the Shortage Occupation List. This review will enable the MAC to look at which posts are in national shortage and should be given priority within the Tier 2 cap in future. That review will conclude in Spring 2019.

Scotland Office

Police Scotland: Travellers

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what information his Department holds on the number of (a) Gypsy, (b) Roma and (c) Irish Traveller (i) police officers and (ii) civilian staff employed by Police Scotland.

David Mundell: Information on Police Scotland staff is held by the Scottish Police Authority which is the legal employer of all police staff in Scotland and a public body of the Scottish Government as set out in the Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Bill 2012.

Treasury

VAT: Registration

Tom Brake: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether businesses will need to be VAT-registered in every EU member state where they have clients once the UK has left the EU.

Mel Stride: The current rules require some UK businesses to register for VAT in other EU countries, depending on the nature of the transactions and business models. Our future relationship with the EU is subject to further negotiations. The Government proposes the UK and EU apply a common approach to the VAT processes and procedures for goods that cross the border between us. These processes and procedures will help to make things work well for businesses and individuals.

Imports: VAT

Tom Brake: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of whether UK companies and businesses will pay VAT on imported goods at the point of entry once the UK has left the EU.

Mel Stride: The Government recognises the importance of VAT accounting treatment to business, and is exploring options to mitigate any cash-flow impacts for business as a result of potential changes following EU exit.

UK Trade with EU

Tom Brake: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to prepare businesses for any additional customs-related paperwork, including import and export declarations, when trading with the EU once the UK has left the EU.

Mel Stride: The Government is working with a wide range of stakeholders across all sectors, including those who are users, or potential users, of the customs system, and will continue to do so in order to prepare them for the future. In this area we will build on our strong track record to ensure that all businesses have the necessary support, education, and guidance in place to be ready for future trade with the EU. The precise nature of any new customs arrangement will be determined in negotiations with the EU.

UK Trade with EU

Tom Brake: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps a business will be required to take to be able to become a trusted trader once the UK has left the EU.

Mel Stride: The Government published a White Paper yesterday, which sets out proposals for the future relationship with the EU.This includes proposals that the UK and the EU would work together on the phased introduction of a new Facilitated Customs Arrangement that would remove the need for customs checks and controls between the UK and the EU as if a combined customs territory. The precise nature of the new customs arrangement, including trusted traders, are subject to negotiations with the EU.

Treasury: Accountancy

Jon Trickett: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much his Department has spent with the Big Four accountancy firms in the last twelve months.

Robert Jenrick: Treasury has spent the following amounts in the last 12 months (to 30 June 2018): Ernst & Young £42,221KPMG £129,354PWC £1,107,037Deloitte £2,767,561